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Ospreys´ Baldwin shows off gruesome lion bite injury

22 October 2017 17:18

A bizarre injury suffered by Scott Baldwin away from the rugby pitch has been the talk of the early Pro14 season and the Ospreys player has now shared a graphic image of the damage inflicted when he was bitten by a lion in South Africa last month.

Baldwin came off the bench in a 36-34 Champions Cup loss to Saracens on Saturday, making a first appearance since an ill-advised attempt to stroke one of the big cats during Ospreys' team outing to a game reserve ahead of a match against Cheetahs.

The Wales hooker required several operations after the wound became infected, the 29-year-old revealing a doctor told him he had even been at risk of losing his hand.

Baldwin's recovery is on track but the foolhardy forward has the images – and scars – to serve as a cautionary reminder to himself and others not to mess with one of the planet's most fearsome predators.